A dozen junkyards, repair shops and other businesses were charged with transporting, storing, handling or dumping hazardous materials in the Wilmington, Calif., area.
Four people also were charged with illegally dumping tires, diesel fuel and concrete on city streets.
The charges carry penalties of up to one year in jail and fines ranging from $1,000 to $100,000.
The cases were filed as a result of an investigation of environmental violations. A task force involving members of 13 city, county and state agencies was launched this past summer.
“These criminal cases are only the beginning of the Wilmington Initiative Task Force’s efforts. The agencies will continue to examine how businesses transport and store hazardous materials to ensure they comply with the law,” said Rocky Delgadillo, an attorney for the city of Los Angeles.
The defendants include owners of junkyards, chrome-plating facilities, metal recycling businesses, trucking companies, auto repair and dismantling shops, and boat owners. Several have pleaded guilty and were fined several hundred or several thousand dollars.
There are "over 100 problem areas" in Wilmington, said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo. "It's amazing what a concentration of environmental crimes they have down there."
The cases stem from the first phase of a three-phase project spearheaded by Delgadillo’s office called the “Wilmington Initiative.” Launched June 5, the task force of city, county and state agencies has focused on non-permitted businesses and permitted facilities that handle hazardous materials or waste. The facilities include junkyards, chrome-plating facilities, sulfur plants, trucks, and auto repair and dismantling shops.Future investigations will target larger businesses, including refineries and large storage facilities, Mateljan said.
Phase One focuses on non-permitted and permitted businesses handling hazardous materials as well as improper transportation of hazardous materials.
Phase Two focuses on permitted businesses that handle hazardous materials or hazardous wastes. These businesses include auto dismantlers and trucks transporting hazardous wastes along Wilmington’s primary transportation corridors, including Anaheim Street and Pacific Coast Highway.
Phase Three will focus on large permitted facilities, including automobile shredders, liquid bulk terminals, tank farms, large storage facilities and refineries. Due to the size of these facilities, the task force members will focus their resources on the top 10 largest locations with the most egregious violations.
Among those charged are:
-- Last K Fumigation;
-- Sun Pacific Trucking;
-- Dependable Highway Express;
-- Philip Transportation and Remediation Inc., Edward Shannon Sweeden, Robert Earl Tillman, MaxCor and Pacific Gas and Electric Co.;
-- D.W. Russell Co. Inc. and David William Russell;
-- Great Cesar Garibay, doing business as Great Cesar Plating;
-- Raymond P. Aguirre;
-- G.V.M.R. Inc.;
-- Apple Auto Dismantling Inc.;
-- Juan Ramirez, doing business as J&M Auto Body;
-- Dasco Lease Corp. and John James Yant;
-- David Dung Le, doing business as Le's Brothers Fishing, and Tom The Van Le;
-- Julian and Crispin Araujo Gutierres; and
-- David M. Pena.